


Secret Keepers

by 0WolfMoon0



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fremione - Freeform, Getting Together, One-Shot, Shotgun Wedding, The Golden Trio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:41:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25064044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0WolfMoon0/pseuds/0WolfMoon0
Summary: One-shot. Hermione loved Molly Weasley like a second mother, truly, but wasn't it a little bit excessive to put her on "Molly Duty" for Ronald's wedding day? It wasn't her fault that Ron had a secret, so why should she be the one to keep it? Plus Molly is acting unlike herself even though she shouldn't know the situation... and why does Fred have to be so bloody confusing throughout all of this?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 134





	Secret Keepers

‘What a miserable day,’ Hermione thought to herself as she watched the happy couple. Ron and Lavender were tying the knot, and Hermione was on “Molly Duty”. Hermione was certain that she was an absolute sucker for getting roped into this fiasco of lies. Thinking back, she knew it wasn’t her fault that Ronald was an absolute idiot.

3 months ago

Ron, Harry, and Hermione were having their usual Friday dinner and drinks at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry was almost finished with his Aurora training, Ron had been taken under his twin brothers' wings as a franchisee of their shop in Hogsmeade, and Hermione was a few weeks into her new job at the Department of Control of Magical Creatures. Friday nights were their day to catch up, since despite being adults the three were closer than ever. Over the years, many friends had been brought into the fold, but Ron and Harry would always be her boys.

"I know that it's mostly just paperwork," Hermione defended to her friends, "but I have had plenty enough action for the rest of my life!" Ron and Harry laughed at her indignation.

"We know, 'Mione. We're just trying to get you to loosen up a little," Harry replied with a smile. She huffed and took a sip of her butterbeer. The boys were drinking much harder liquor and someone had to make sure they got home safely. 

While Harry was drinking in moderation, Ron was busy drinking himself stupid that night. Hermione wondered what she had ever seen in him that had made her want to date him. She shook her head. She'd been a foolish child. As he told stories about setting up his shop, however, she could almost feel the attraction come back. Then he would make a pig-headed comment about her being a prude and needing to drink with them and the feeling flitted away.

In the two years since their extended camping trip, her boys had changed drastically. Hermione missed the days when they were simply her boys, getting through school together and not having to schedule time to hang out. But, so it went when one became an adult.

Harry grew into who he wanted to become - he was the top of his Auror training class and he had recently proposed to Ginny during her off-season from the quidditch league. He had turned Grimauld Place into a modern and lively home, going as far as to remove the entire wall in the entryway to be finally and forever rid of the screeching of Mrs. Black. Everything was looking up for the man.

Ron, on the other hand, had been a bit of a mess for a while. He had joined the Auror Corps with Harry, and been a sweet and loving boyfriend to Hermione, until he dropped out after about four months. At that time, he decided that he was dropping everything in his life, deciding to go travel America for a bit and leave everything behind. Including her. It was the first time she had been dumped. And it hadn't been fun. In fact, she and Ron had only been on speaking terms for about three months now after a year of righteous indignation. Now that he was building up his own location of Wesley's Wizard Wheezes, he seemed to have mellowed in temper. Or maybe it was the parade of one-night-stands he kept telling them about...

After the fifth firewhiskey, she and Harry were both a little concerned for their friend. 

"Wanna know... a secret?" Ron slurred to them. Harry and Hermione shared a look. Nothing good ever followed that question when Ron was pissed.

"Sure, Ron. But you need to stop drinking if you're going to tell us," Harry reasoned. Ron grumbled but obliged and slid his drink away from himself.

"Promise not to teeeelllll?" he slurred some more. Harry and Hermione both nodded vigorously.

"Ap-parently I'm a'gonna be a dad! Isn't that somethin'?" Ron slurred out. Hermione made a sound between a gasp and a groan, because of course he had been that stupid. That just made Ron giggle.

"But shhhhhhh! Don't tell mum!" Ron giggled out. 

"How'd this happen, Ron?" Harry asked carefully, signaling to Tom to cut their friend off and bring him a check.

Ron started off giggling but became more and more morose as he continued to talk. "Mum always said a man and woman needed to love each other veeeeeeeery much. But she lied! There’s a baby but I don’t love the momma very much at all!"

This time, Hermione did groan. A long, loud, head banging against the tabletop groan. How could one of her best friends be so stupid? She was glad she was sober.

"So then who don’t you love very much, Ron?" Harry continued to probe.

"Ugh… Lavender Brown, from Hogwarts." All humor was gone from his voice as he brought up the mother of his unborn child.

Harry and Hermione shared another glance, communicating without words, 'bloody hell.'

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

When Ron had finally sobered up the next day, he and Harry had made the plan. Nobody had to know about this mess up. Within the week, Ron and Lavender were engaged and planning a wedding with the help of Molly Weasley.

Of course, nobody listened to Hermione when she explained that basic pregnancy math would out them as a shotgun wedding. Nobody cared that when the baby came a mere 5 months after the wedding not looking like a preemie it would raise suspicion. Or the fact that Lavender would start to show a lot in the weeks immediately after her wedding. Or the fact that Molly had been pregnant six times and could probably tell on sight if someone was expecting.

No, none of that was going to get noticed because Hermione, being the great friend she was, was put on “Molly Duty” during all major events. Because apparently knowing everything that could go wrong put her in a position to prevent it. So she was supposed to turn Molly's back from the couple as Lavender dumped her champagne in a plant after the wedding toasts. It was her job to distract Molly while Lavender ate the strangest combination of foods from the buffet. And when the two disappeared so that Lavender could take care of her all-times-of-the-day sickness, it was Hermione who brought up babies to distract the older woman.

For once, she didn't care to keep all of her wits about her. “Molly Duty” was stressful, especially when nobody else could know why she did it. She drank to her heart's content, filled with champagne and spite. Not even longing, which many assumed she had after Ron being her only serious relationship in... well... ever. It was pure anger that she was being so pushed aside. And not actually attending to Molly, that was her pathetic means of revenge.

Hermione didn't notice that she was approached until her shoulder was tapped. Hell, she thought. "How much have I had to drink?" 

There was a laugh from the man beside her. "Only three glasses, I think. May I have this dance?" the man asked. Hermione blinked a few times before cold recognition flowed through her.

"Fred! Don't you know I'm on Molly Duty? I can't dance with you." Hermione knew it was a weak excuse, especially since the only ones privy to the secret were herself and Harry. Fred just smirked and wiggled his fingers.

"You can come up with a better excuse than that. Now come dance!" Without asking again, he took her hand and dragged her up to the dance floor. It was a fairly upbeat song that had Hermione bouncing in place while laughing at Fred's more... inspired... dance moves.

They danced for a few songs before it got slow. Hermione tried to beg away, head starting to clear a bit with the mild exercise and realizing she had lost track of her charge. Fred wasn't letting her get away that easily. He pulled her into his arms for the slower dance, swaying in one place as she blushed.

"Wanna know a secret?" he leaned down and whispered in her ear. 

Recalling the last time that she'd heard those words, Hermione grumbled, "Only if it doesn't lead to my Molly watching."

Fred laughed again and leaned closer to her ear. "Lavender told literally everyone the second she got pregnant. Mum has known almost as long as Ron has." 

"WHAT!" Hermione shouted, pulling away from Fred just a little. His eyes were shining with mirth. Really, his entire face was lit with amusement at her reaction. 

"Please tell me you're joking?" she begged.

"Nope! And that’s not even the secret," he smiled and replied in a hushed tone. He pulled her back into him. Hermione didn't think it was necessary since apparently his goal was to rile her up but she, again, could not escape. 

"Believe it or not, Mum is the one who was 'wands at the ready' on Ron about it. And she doesn't even really like Lavender." 

"So that's the secret? Ron has had me wasting my time tonight following your mother?"

Fred smiled again with barely contained laughter. "No, ickle Ronnikins doesn't know we know. Mum is only going along with it so that you don't feel bad."

Hermione shook her head in disappointment. "So the secret is everyone knows but Ron doesn't know that everyone knows? Or is the secret that your mother is humoring my attempts to help him keep it a secret?"

Fred's smile turned softer. "Wrong on both counts, Miss Granger."

Hermione huffed and glared at the jokester in her arms. "This secret is taking too long to come out."

"Fine. The secret is that Mum yelled at Ron when he brought her home because she wasn't you. So Mum was hoping you would be the one to give her grandkids." Fred's voice was warm against her ear. Calming despite the fact she wanted to freak out.

Hermione stared at Fred in disbelief. What he said was just... wrong. Molly Weasley would condone a shotgun wedding if it was her? Absolutely wrong. "How can I be sure this isn't a prank, Fred?" she asked, shifting from disbelief to suspicion.

Fred shrugged, smile staying warm. "Oh, no reason. Though I did want to ask if you wanted to take her up on the offer? I'd be happy to help you carry her grandkids." He winked, but the smile stayed. It was not his trickster smile. It seemed... almost... nervous in Hermione's eyes. But that didn't change the content of his question.

She hadn't realized how much time had passed until she pushed him away and noted that the song had changed from the first slow song at least once. "What the hell, Fred! I am not some cheap hookup!"

Fred at least had the decency to look sheepish, especially since the rest of the guests near them were giving him dirty looks at her insinuation. "That came out wrong. I'm trying to say I fancy you..."

Hermione started to walk away and Fred followed. Looking back, Hermione thought he looked like a kicked puppy. When she stopped behind a pillar to get some privacy, he grabbed her into a hug.

"I think based on the fact that we are at a wand-point wedding, my family doesn't do things in parts. I've fancied you forever, and would have you for keeps if you'd let me."

She continued to glare fiercely at him. This had to be an elaborate joke. Fred was a prankster, and certainly not interested in her of all people. She was bookish. He was, again, a professional joker. But... she supposed he had always been nice to her, and he had never directly pranked her unlike everyone else in their lives.

"One date," she offered.

Fred's grin returned in full force. "I'll take it!" Then he dragged her back to the dance floor, where he made her laugh, have fun, and forget about anyone's secrets except her own. Maybe the night wasn’t so miserable after all.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Somewhere across the hall, a few galleons passed hands among friends as extendable ears were tucked away. Harry grumbled as he gave 15 galleons to his smirking fiancee. "Told you Fred would convince her."

George then slid over. "No lies were used in the wooing of the Granger," he said smugly. "Mum really did shout at Ron about Lavender not being Hermione." Harry grumbled some more as he fished out 5 more galleons.

"Did he admit his secret, though?" Harry asked. Percy grumbled as he walked up and handed Harry 50 galleons. 

Harry grinned. "Sucker. Wanna go double or nothing on 6 months?"

Percy scowled. "Getting greedy there, Potter? I'll take that bet because there's no way he won't admit he loves her before that."

Ginny giggled, knowing how each of her brothers worked. Ron was the impulsive one. Fred played the long game. And Percy was the sucker.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for coming and reading! I really liked writing this story, though I will admit that it kind of wrote itself to an extent in the middle of the night. Cross-posted on Fanfiction.net (author name the same). If you like my work, a lot more is posted over there, and you can also get updates on any stories I may write on my Tumblr page, wolfmoonwrites.
> 
> That's all for now! Let me know what you thought!


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